While the prior art has contemplated various and diverse teaching aids for facilitating learning of basic mathematics, some incorporating spherical devices, none are believed to teach or contemplate the present invention.
Patents which may be of interest regarding the present invention follow:
______________________________________ Patent Inventor Issue Date ______________________________________ 5,257,784 Boylan et al. 11/02/93 5,219,289 4,317,567 Blake 03/02/82 3,769,212 Smith 07/25/72 3,521,886 Bosco 07/28/70 3,464,698 Bosco 09/02/69 2,687,302 Stiegler ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,212 (now expired), teaching a "Chance Readout Educational Ball" teaches a ball having a plurality of spheres thereon, formed like our moon having craters, wherein each crater includes a window having a ball receiving means therein, and therein a numbered inner ball within the spherical main ball is configured to fall by chance within one of the window areas.
With '212, a multiplication or other problem is located by each aperture, such as, for example (7.times..sub.-). The present system may be used to teach a math concept by rolling or shaking the ball, causing the inner number ball to fall into a random window; the user then reads the adjacent problem, inserting the inner number indicated through the window into the problem, and performing the problem, thereby providing a random problem generator for educational purposes. While this patent does not teach the geometric and problem commonalities associated with the searched for invention, it none the less is pertinent as disclosing a general concept for teaching math based upon randomness and problems generated via a ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,289 teaches a "Mathematical Teaching Aid", wherein there is provided a background grid having colored geometric shapes indicating commonalities of math problems associated therewith, to aid in the teaching of basic mathematical concepts, including multiplication, factoring composite numbers, squaring numbers, factoring quadratics, distinguishing between prime and composite numbers, and identifying factors to composite numbers.
The remaining cited patents teach various systems for facilitating learning of math, or systems for generating random numbers or the like, and are included for general information and reference.
Based upon the above, it is clear that the prior art has yet to contemplate a relatively easily fabricated, and uncomplicated system for facilitating learning of basic math concepts by children, for use in their everyday play and playground exercises.